BANGKOK: A significant ethnic rebel group in Myanmar announced on Monday ( Nov. 25 ) that it was prepared to hold talks with the junta to end the region’s nearly a year of renewed fighting.
The Ta’ang National Liberation Army ( TNLA ) has mobilized around 7, 000 troops from northern Shan state and has fought the Myanmar military for more than ten years for the autonomy of the Palaung ethnic minority.
The defense, which has seized large areas of Shan state, including rose mine and a profitable trade route to China, launched an offensive against it last year led by the TNLA and two additional allied rebel groups.
A counter-offensive on the ground has not yet been implemented despite the military’s repeated bombardment of country it has lost with air strikes and artillery.
On its Telegram stream, the TNLA stated that it is ready to meet and talk about putting an end to the military conflict between both edges.
” In the day-to-day battle in our Ta’ang place… the local people are suffering terribly from the battle”.
It stated that it was prepared for discussions, but it added that it would supply the “right to support ourselves.”
” We will discuss, but we will not provide territory”, the TNLA’s General Tar Bhone Kyaw told AFP.
A coup spokeswoman could not be reached for comment.